Pencils and prayers: Churches offer kids backpack blessings and supplies as school resumes

A church prayer team prays at Montevallo Elementary School. (Photo courtesy Patti Champion)Picasa

MONTEVALLO, Alabama - More than a dozen churches in Calera and Montevallo gathered on Sunday to distribute school supplies and offer prayer for students returning to school.

More than 300 students in Montevallo and more than 100 in Calera took part in carnivals that handed out supplies from the supply lists of schools in the two cities, said Jennifer Nabors, who helped launch the project in Calera several years ago. "They got a chunk of school supplies," she said.

Churches divided up the supply lists, then distributed them at a carnival-style event with games for youth. "It was definitely collaborative effort," said Patti Champion, a volunteer coordinator from St. Thomas Catholic Church in Montevallo.

Students take part in games at Montevallo High School stadium and are rewarded with school supplies. (Photo courtesy Patti Champion)Picasa

Churches also sent out prayer teams to each school to pray on the grounds.

"We prayed over the community, teachers and parents," Nabors said.

The schools in those communities begin classes on Aug. 7.

The rally met first at Harvest Chapel in Calera for prayer. Then "Prayer in the Park" followed at Oliver Park in Calera and at the football stadium at Montevallo High School.

The event also featured prayer tents where needy families could ask for help.

"We've got some very real needs in our community," Nabors said.

Nabors said this was the first year the event was held in Montevallo. It started in 2010 with a blessing of the backpacks ceremony at Calera United Methodist Church that included school supplies and keychains with scripture verses, she said.

The next year, other churches began taking part and it became a citywide event, Nabors said.